The Canadian Wheat Research Coalition has a new, Manitoba-based president.
Lori-Ann Kaminski, research programs manager for cereals with the Manitoba Crop Alliance, will be adding the role to her portfolio.
Kaminski takes the reins as the organization shifts its home base to the eastern Prairies. A joint venture between the Alberta Wheat Commission, Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission and Manitoba Crop Alliance, the coalition rotates hosting duties among the three groups every three years. As of 2023, it’s Manitoba’s turn. The Alberta Wheat Commission previously hosted the coalition.
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As well as organizing the coalition’s annual meeting, host organizations are responsible for “administrative functions, such as research funding co-ordination” and “communications activities, such as website updates and annual reports,” according to a May 25 release from the Manitoba Crop Alliance.
The president is selected by the host organization.
Kaminski thanked the Alberta and Saskatchewan commodity groups for their contributions to the coalition’s success during their time as hosts.
Those contributions include work on the 2018-23 Canadian National Wheat Cluster, which pursued research in agronomy and variety development and was administered by the coalition. The group has now entered a new five-year cluster under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
The Manitoba Crop Alliance “strongly believes in the value of the collaborative approach to wheat research that the CWRC promotes and is proud to assume hosting duties for the organization over the next three years,” Kaminski said in the same May 25 release.
Her research role in Manitoba’s commodity groups pre-dates the alliance. In 2020, efforts to amalgamate five previously separate commodity groups were finalized, combining the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association, Manitoba Corn Growers Association, National Sunflower Association of Canada, Winter Cereals Manitoba and Manitoba Flax Growers Association into the new, broader-scoped Manitoba Crop Alliance.
Kaminski had previously done double-duty as research manager for both the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association (since late 2014) and Manitoba Corn Growers Association (since early 2016). She transitioned to the new organization after the amalgamation.
